After just one, awkward season at Tennessee, Lane Kiffin is heading back to Cali. Kiffin announced tonight that he is leaving Tennessee to take Pete Carroll’s old job at USC. Kiffin has strong ties to SC where he was the offensive coordinator under Carroll, sharing responsibilities for the Trojans offense alongside Steve Sarkisian, who later left SC himself for Washington. Kiffin’s SC roots and recruiting skills made him a natural fit to take over the huge void left by Carroll.
“This was not an easy decision,” Kiffin said in a brief press conference on Tennessee’s campus. “I really believe this is the only place I would have left here to go.”
Lane will be taking his father, Mote Kiffin, along with him to SC to become the defensive coordinator. It’s also rumored that part of the deal includes getting back legendary offensive genius, Norm Chow, who is currently at UCLA, to become the offensive coordinator. Monte Kiffin working the defense, Norm Chow running the offense and Lane recruiting talent? Wow.
Loyalty is nearly dead in coaching, and that is just fine with me. FBS football is a business and coaches have to do what’s in their best interest. Obviously staying at a crippled Tennessee program and trying to compete against Urban Meyer every year can’t be too appealing. USC can out-recruit everyone in the PAC-10 and with arguably the best coaching talent in college football I don’t see the Trojans slumping at all despite pending NCAA investigations.
After a roller-coaster week Trojans fans can rejoice in Vols misery. Let’s just say it’s not a good time to be a Tennessee fan.
Tags: Lane Kiffin, Monte Kiffin, Norm Chow, Pete Carroll, USC Football